The weird weekend is coming up. It’s the weekend before the Christmas weekend, where awkward feelings are in the air and everybody is concerned with holiday shopping.

Although it is the season of giving, it’s no reason to neglect yourself. In fact, the best present to friends and family is often the present of the best you. That means doing a little shopping for yourself. That means getting out and getting down to relieve the pre-stress of Christmas credit card debt, which you might be paying off well into the spring season. That also means maintaining balance and wellness in the body, mind and spirit and perhaps experiencing some of that dynamic Brooklyn culture that draws the gentrifiers to Brooklyn, like Kanye to Trump Tower.

It’s all gravy baby, we got you covered. Check below and remember that mother nature will make it rain like Lil Wayne in a “Gentleman’s Club” this weekend, so don’t forget your umbrella (I proudly resisted the Rihanna pun).

Although “shopping local” is the flavor of the moment, many people on your list might not appreciate their gift if it’s not a well-known brand, coming from a well-known store. That’s’ why you should hit up MoCADA this weekend and go for dolo. From the FB Event Page:

“MoCADA’s Winter DIY Fest is an annual holiday bazaar that features New York-based artisans and vendors. Shoppers will find outstanding handmade goods – ranging from cutting edge jewelry and all natural bath & body products to home decor and clothing.

This year, vendors will fill the museum’s gallery and extended gallery on December 16-18, from 1:00pm-6:00pm.

You’re repping BK to the fullest, shimmering like a gem and doing Biggie proud… So don’t bring Yellow Tail or Bare Foot Prosecco to the holiday party. C’mon now, you’re better than that! Clearly, confusion is the step-mother of bad bottle choices, so jump over to Bed Vyne Spirits this Saturday, from 4pm-8pm, as they continue their December series of tastings. This weekend’s focus is cider, champagne and American whiskey. You can taste the day away, getting familiar with appellation, filtration, fermentation and other wavy terms that you can toss around at your holiday party, while making people think you know a thing or two.

There will also be free BBQ, because, well BBQ. If the holiday party turns into cuffing season, just remember to hide that bottle of Turning Leaf in the backseat of your car… or be left in a stupor when they hop out and call an Uber.

These are brand new times for sure. In this post-truth environment, where a billionaire, reality star has ascended to the White House and expeditiously starts appointing cabinet members that despise the departments they’ll be heading, and bigotry is being worn like a badge of honor, we can all use some healing. Heal Baby, Heal; that’s the NEW new.

“In collaboration with artist Macon Reed and her installation Hammer of Witches, Pears of Anguish in the BRIC Biennial, a series of workshops and discussions will be hosted, exploring the persecution of witches throughout history and its relation to the rise of capitalism, how we relate to our physical bodies, and collective imagination.

Lady Liberty Calls: A Ritual for Personal and Global Healing is participatory ritual for post-election releasing and recharging, and taking steps towards creating a just, sustainable world. Working with the archetype of Lady Liberty, the public is invited to partake in ritual stations to grieve, heal, and commit to actions that can create much-needed change in the current political landscape. The event will be priestessed by magical activist BrightFlame and other members of the NYC Reclaiming community.

As we head into the holiday season and a new year, “Do You” is an imperative imbued with new meaning. While you’re there, check out the full BRIC Biennial show, it’s very good!

I know you wanna go to an ugly sweater party this holiday season. It’s like a half-costume party, where you can let loose, be part of a “thing,” spill booze on your clothes and not give a f**, and boogie like it’s nobody’s business. Well, you might as well do it up this Saturday, at FUGLY. Dressing like a dork is de rigueur at this event. So the fuglier the better! It’s not only a one hour open bar, from 9pm-10pm, but it’s a charitable component to the event as well, which is a plus. This is from their Facebook Event Page:

“As always we’re about giving back especially this time of year. Proceeds/Donations from this event will benefit communities in Haiti, West Indies who were affected by Hurricane Matthew. Your ticket purchases will help ship the supplies.”

Sometimes you just wanna kick it at a day party, where the DJs play some global African music for you to dance, or drink and nibble on some food, or do it all at the same time. That’s what’s happening this Sunday at Afrikandy, thrown by Hard Hittin’ Harry and friends, at C’mon Everybody. It’s a perfect time for me, since the Dallas Cowboys game got flexed to 8:30pm on Sunday (shaddup Giants fans), which means I can boogie before Dem Boyz play.

If you’ve never been to C’mon Everybody, this is a perfect event for your first experience. The sound system is dope, the staff is warm and welcoming and the drinks are reasonably priced, and although it will be rainy on Sunday, it will be an unseasonably 60 degrees, which we can expect more of because Donald Trumps administration is going to blow up the EPA and sends missiles filled with aerosol and Chinese emissions into the ozone (we’re in a post truth environment, so I’m finna start saying whatever I want, because if it’s good enough for the president to do…)

Letter from the Editor

Launched in 2013, BK Reader (formerly The Brooklyn Reader) is an online hyperlocal daily news source reflecting the art, culture, business and lifestyle of the fastest-developing areas of Central and East Brooklyn.